"2006 Judicial Conference Begins": The Public Information Office of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today issued a news release that begins, "The 2006 Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference opened Monday at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Huntington Beach, Calif. with Chief Judge Mary M. Schroeder focusing on efforts to split the circuit in her report on the State of the Circuit."

Earlier today, in this post, I linked to two news reports covering Justice Anthony M. Kennedy's remarks yesterday at the judicial conference.

Dancing days are here again: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit today issued an opinion that begins, "This case marks the third chapter in this court of the dispute as to who is the rightful owner of the works of the renowned modern dancer Martha Graham, who died in 1991 at the age of 96."Posted at 07:28 PM by Howard Bashman"SIU is told to recognize group; Christian legal body still has suit pending":This article appears today in The Chicago Tribune. My earlier coverage appears here.Posted at 02:58 PM by Howard Bashman"Domestic Spying Program Faces First Challenge; A veteran judge will rule on the legality of the NSA's warrantless anti-terror surveillance; Greenpeace is among the petitioners": Henry Weinstein has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

"Race a Critical Issue in 10th Circuit Nomination; First black nominee for court under fire on affirmative action":This article (free access) appears in this week's issue of The National Law Journal.Posted at 01:11 PM by Howard Bashman"2 Sides Clash at Hearing on Legality of Deficit Law": The New York Times today contains an article that begins, "Lawyers for the government and a leading public interest group squared off Monday in a court case hinging on a subject found in just about any American civics textbook: how a bill becomes a law." Meanwhile, in Saturday's newspaper, Dorothy Samuels had a related Editorial Observer essay entitled "The Deficit Reduction Act? What Deficit Reduction Act?"

"Stock Conflict Cited in Pregerson Cases": The Recorder of San Francisco yesterday contained an article (subscription required) that begins, "After losing two trademark cases, an attorney for a software company is trying to get the rulings thrown out because one of the Ninth Circuit judges hearing the case apparently had a financial conflict."Posted at 01:02 PM by Howard BashmanThe Associated Press is reporting: Now available online are articles headlined "District Judge Removed From Indian Case" and "Texas Inmates Not Entitled to Minimum Wage."Posted at 01:00 PM by Howard BashmanListen live: I'm scheduled to appear as a guest on the first segment of The Kojo Nnamdi Show just after 12 noon today on Washington, DC's NPR station, WAMU-88.5. You can listen live via this link. The topic is "Courts and Technology."Posted at 12:00 PM by Howard Bashman"As retired military leaders of the U.S. Armed Forces, we write to express our deep concern about the nomination of William J. Haynes II, General Counsel for the Department of Defense, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit." The organization Human Rights First has posted online this letter signed by more than 20 retired military leaders. That organization has collected additional, related information here.

In the continuing saga of the Indian Trust litigation: The D.C. Circuit today issued two important rulings in the case formerly known as Cobell v. Norton, now known as Cobell v. Kempthorne.

The first of today's two rulings is significant because it grants the federal government's request to remove U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth from continuing to preside over the case. The D.C. Circuit, on remand, orders that a new district judge be assigned to preside over this very complex case.

And the second of today's two rulings vacates an injunction the district court issued requiring requiring many of the Department of the Interior's computer systems to be disconnected from the internet and internal computer networks.Posted at 10:22 AM by Howard Bashman

"Court arguments begin on same-sex marriage; Panel to decide constitutionality of state's ban": Bob Egelko has this article today in The San Francisco Chronicle.